


open your eyes

by klari19



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Comfort, Kenma is strong for Kuroo!!, M/M, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-19
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-25 12:32:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7532938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klari19/pseuds/klari19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Although Kuroo was still taller than Kenma in stature, now he looked terribly small and – <em>fragile</em>. The steel exterior he always showed had now crumbled down, completely vanished. </p><p>Or, Kuroo's always wanted to protect Kenma, but it's ended up being the other way around...</p>
            </blockquote>





	open your eyes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eicinic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eicinic/gifts).



> Happy birthday Gin!!!!! You're an amazingly kind person with an incredible love for KenKuro, and I hope you enjoy this tiny little thing I wrote for you in honor of those two special things about you ;w; Much love!

When Kenma was six and Kuroo was seven, it was Kuroo who stood tall between Kenma and the children who wanted to harass the younger one. His eyes were always determined and strong, driving the attention away from his slightly shaking fists, and they would drive anyone away from his small friend. After they were gone, Kuroo said he wanted to be strong for Kenma, so that he could protect him against anything and everything…

but it was Kenma who had to console a crying Kuroo whenever he scraped his knees against the hard pavement. Kenma was the one to tell him that it would sting for just a moment when he washed the wound with water and soap. Kenma was the one to use his steady hands to gently place a band aid on the freshly cleaned injury. Kenma was the one to press a delicate kiss over the bandage, and whisper that it would heal soon.

When Kenma was eleven and Kuroo was twelve, Kuroo had mixed feelings about his entrance to junior high school. He said that it was another step to becoming stronger for Kenma, but that he was concerned because he wouldn’t be there to protect the younger one for an entire year. Kenma told him not to worry, that he would be fine, and Kuroo smiled before they closed their facing windows…

but only moments later it was Kenma who had to tell Kuroo that _he_ would be fine too, that he didn’t have to be scared about high school as the older one climbed up the wall of Kenma’s house and came inside through the window, in tears. Kenma was the one to softly pat Kuroo’s back as he cried into his shoulder. Kenma was the one to tell him that it would only be a year, just one, and that after that they would be together again.

When Kenma was sixteen and Kuroo was seventeen, the time came when they had to say goodbye to their senpai at school and choose a new captain for the volleyball team. It didn’t take long to know who would be carrying the title next. Kuroo smiled widely and thanked everyone for giving him such a great honor, and everyone was happy to tell him that they knew he was the best suited for it…

but Kenma was the only one to see the twitch of Kuroo’s lips when he grinned at that. Kenma was the one to find Kuroo sitting into his treehouse – kept intact even after he’d grown older – as he knew it was the place Kuroo always went to when he was feeling overwhelmed. Kenma was the one to place a soothing hand on the nape of his neck, every word of reassurance and encouragement and support that he wanted to say but knew Kuroo wouldn’t believe thrumming urgently beneath his skin. But Kenma knew that sometimes what Kuroo needed wasn’t a pep talk, but a tight hug.

Then, less than a year after Kuroo had graduated high school and went off to live in the city to study, Kenma received a call. It was late, too late at night, but the caller’s ID could make Kenma forgive anything, even being woken up from a deep slumber on a Saturday night.

“Kuroo?” Kenma’s voice was thick with sleep.

There was a silence during which Kenma rubbed his eyes and righted himself on his bed. After a while, Kuroo spoke. “Kenma… I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Automatic. “What’s wrong?”

Kenma could hear the strained breaths through the speaker. He could almost see him: Kuroo’s eyes shut tightly beneath a deep frown, the bridge of his nose pressed down almost painfully between two slender fingers, and his phone tight against his ear as he tried to force the words out of his mouth.

“I—I’m—at your door.”

Kuroo lived at his aunt’s place, since that was closer to the university he was attending to, which meant that he’d most probably taken the last train of the day to come back to the suburbia, where his parents and Kenma still lived.

“I’ll be there in a sec.”

Kenma made his way down silently so as not to wake his parents up, and opened the front door. Although Kuroo was still taller than Kenma in stature, now he looked terribly small and – _fragile_. The steel exterior he always showed had now crumbled down, completely vanished. Kuroo had dark circles under his eyes, and his hair looked messier than ever. His back was slumped, and though Kuroo tried to keep himself still Kenma could see the slight trembling of his hands. Kenma took in a deep breath, almost frightened to see Kuroo in such a state.

“Hey,” said Kuroo, and attempted to smile.

“Hey,” Kenma replied. Soft words reaching Kuroo’s ears, and soft hands closing around Kuroo’s fists.

Once Kuroo was inside, his shoes beside Kenma’s in the entryway (it had taken him longer than usual to get rid of them, his fingers made clumsy by the shaking of his limbs), Kenma quietly led the way towards the kitchen. He poured a glass of milk for each of them – it would help them sleep, Kenma knew – and placed them both down on the table at which Kuroo was already seated. A whispered _‘Thank you’_ and the glass was into Kuroo’s hands, pressed up against his lips.

Kenma watched Kuroo slowly down the liquid as he quietly drank his own. No other words had been spoken yet. That would come later, eventually.

The glasses were left into the sink before they softly padded towards the staircase and up to the second floor, where Kenma’s room was located. Kuroo had been at Kenma’s house so many times already that he could perfectly make his way into the dark. Kenma smiled gently at that, and followed close behind as Kuroo entered his room.

The blankets welcomed them with a soft and pleasant warmth as they made themselves as comfortable as possible in the small bed, Kuroo’s head buried in the crook of Kenma’s neck and Kenma’s arms wrapped around Kuroo’s shoulders. _It’s more comfortable like this_ , Kuroo had said once, but even though he didn’t explicitly say it Kenma knew he needed the reassuring pressure of Kenma’s arms, as frail as they might be, around him to feel better in any situation.

For a while, they just breathed and felt each other’s heartbeats against their palms pressed over their backs and chests. Kenma waited patiently as he indulged in his favorite activity: slowly carding his fingers through Kuroo’s hair and trying to smooth down his unruly bangs.

“Kenma…” The leaves rustled outside, the gentle night’s breeze brushing softly through them. “…I’m scared.”

Silence came after he spoke, but Kenma knew Kuroo wasn’t finished, so he waited. The minutes passed, their lightness easy on their tired minds, and Kuroo finally spoke again.

“University is frightening. There are so many talented people, both in my field of study and in the volleyball team and I… don’t know if I can be as good as they are. I’m terrified of not being able to work hard enough to become better because I’m not—strong. Like you are.” He paused, then continued. “I remember when we were kids. I would say that I would protect you from anything, forever.” He chuckled gently into Kenma’s neck, and Kenma smiled remembering it too. “But it’s always been you who’s been strong for me whenever I feel insecure or that I’ve been hurt… Thank you…” Kuroo’s words soon became incoherent mumbles as he drifted into sleep, sighing softly into Kenma’s neck, his forehead pressed against Kenma’s cheek.

Content that Kuroo was finally resting away his exhaustion, Kenma settled down to continue sleeping. Kuroo’s words kept on reverberating inside his mind as he gazed up at the ceiling of his room. Those words revealed a deep insecurity through the feeling of being terrified, and it wasn’t right, it wasn’t meant to be like that. But Kenma knew that more than being afraid of others, Kuroo was afraid of himself. Because…

“You’re strong, too. You work hard for success without even knowing it. You push yourself farther that anyone else, thinking that it’s the normal thing to do. You persist on things everyone else has abandoned, always keeping up the same enthusiasm. Kuroo, you’re strong. You might be the strongest of us two, and of everyone you’ve ever known.” Kenma whispered, fingers brushing Kuroo’s nape as he pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “You just don’t want to see it. But I hope that, one day, I can help you open your eyes so that you can realize it.”

Kenma’s heavy eyelids slid shut, and he fell asleep half-wondering if the growing warmth around him was because of the sleepiness embracing him, or because Kuroo’s arms had tightened a little around his chest.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, happy birthday dear Gin! I hope you liked this, and that I did justice to these amazing characters❤ May you have a wonderful day!!
> 
> kuroosthighz & clara-wrote-once on tumblr


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